Ducks News: Anaheim Selects Swedish Hockey League Star Leo Carlsson in Round 1 of 2023 Draft

The pick is in!

After long last, the Anaheim Ducks have made their selection with the second overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. The team decided to go with center Leo Carlsson from Örebro HK of the Swedish Hockey League despite many people believing that Adam Fantilli from the University of Michigan was the second best player in the draft. But this is a move that General Manager Pat Verbeek and company mulled over everything and ultimately decided was the best for the direction of the franchise.

The Ducks got their consolation prize for having one of the worst seasons in franchise history. They ended the year on a 13-game losing streak and clinched the worst record in the league.

Carlsson is a big, strong center that has NHL-ready size at 6-foot-2. He has major experience playing two years in the Swedish Hockey League and he could be the top-end center that Anaheim can build around.

His skating ability won’t blow you away but he is good enough to get the job done and can grow his game. He was the top-rated international skater by NHL Central Scouting for the 2023 class and scored 10 goals over 44 games in the Swedish League.

Carlsson isn’t a big time scorer but he does bring a different element to this Ducks team. His IQ is off the charts when it comes to the game of hockey and joining a team with young talent such as Mason McTavish, Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry, it could flourish.

Anaheim hasn’t reached the postseason since 2018 so this is exactly the type of pick that could get them back to relevancy. The rest of the NHL Draft and offseason for the Ducks remains in question but they got their guy and can start to build forward now.